Stories from the frontline – Epsom and St Helier launch podcast

From the lifesaving to the routine, and featuring staff working behind the scenes and on the frontline of our NHS services – Epsom and St Helier have launched a new podcast (thought to be the first of its kind in the country), to help provide more of an insight into the experiences of patients and the diverse and specialised roles that our staff carry out.

The ‘Your Epsom and St Helier’ podcast is being produced by the Trust’s Communications and Engagement Team, and aims to provide a new platform for both patients and staff to share their story with a wide audience. The discussions are intimate and freeform, which allows for an in-depth and personal perspective to be shared, giving an insight into what it is really like to both be treated, and work, at Epsom and St Helier.

The very first episode covers the story of Rob Glanville – a professional inline skater who suffered a life-changing brain injury while out skating, and was subsequently cared for by the neuro rehab team at St Helier. Rob is joined by one of the speech therapists who treated him – Sally Tan. Rob gives his account of the very serious accident that he had in Hammersmith, which resulted in him suffering a sub-dural haematoma (bleed on the brain), while Sally tells us what it was like to treat Rob and how she and her team helped him to talk, swallow and walk again.

Director of Communications and Patient Experience, Lisa Thomson, said: “Our Trust is committed to showing members of the public what really happens in our hospitals – people’s lives are being saved and changed for the better every single day in our hospitals, but sometimes those stories go unheard. This podcast aims to get these unheard stories out and available to a worldwide audience. This is a pioneering project within the NHS – we can’t wait to have more people come on and share their stories with us – and we are very excited about its potential.

“While the focus of the podcast will be NHS services, staff and the patients we care for, the conversations – as with any good podcast – can be slightly unpredictable. So, while in this first episode you might learn a little about what it’s like to suffer a brain injury and how NHS experts can help, you’ll also hear why we think helmets are so important and why Lewis Hamilton is the best Formula One driver of the moment.

The podcast will be released on a monthly basis, starting today (Friday 30 November). It will be available on our website at: www.epsom-sthelier.nhs.uk/podcast and for download from your usual podcast provider – simply search for ‘Your Epsom and St Helier’.